Kid CuDi Interview

Hip Hop Interviews at DJBooth

A lot can change in a year. Just last summer, a recording artist named Scott Mescudi was a working a nine-to-five job to make ends meet and pursuing his musical dream in his spare time. Fast-forward to 2009 and the “lonely stoner” we all know as Kid CuDi has grown from relative unknown to unlikely pop megastar, thanks in large part to the breakout success of debut single and Billboard #3 hit ”Day N Nite.” Hailed by many as a musical game-changer, the Cleveland-bred singer/songwriter/emcee has distilled his genre-bending style into an outré debut album he hopes will be the “one small step” that spurs hip-hop to take its next giant leap forward. Released on Sept. 15, via Dream On/G.O.O.D. Music/Universal Motown and available now in stores and online, Man on the Moon: The End of Day finds Kid CuDi chaperoning listeners on a guided tour of the vast expanses of space and the depths of his own psyche (with a little help from narrator Common). Fueled by the artist’s breakout hit as well as Booth-acclaimed follow-up singles “Make Her Say” (w/ Kanye West & Common) and “Pursuit of Happiness” (w/ Ratatat & MGMT), the album is a heady, intensely personal, THC-drenched journey that those who come along for the ride won’t soon forget. In an exclusive interview with our own DJ “Z,” Kid CuDi steps into the Booth to discuss his commitment to creative envelope-pushing, what inspired him to make that infamous ‘retirement’ announcement earlier this year and his powerfully intoxicating influence on female fans.